In the construction of apparatus, for example electrical lift trucks, a control means is connected to an accelerating element of the vehicle for varying the speed of the vehicle in response to movement of the accelerating element.
Heretofore utilized control means, for example Accelerator Switch 1C4485ACC manufactured by General Electric Co., Salem, Virginia, has a rotatable actuating bar connected to the accelerating element for actuating stop and bypass switches through cams positioned on the rotatable bar. Linkage means having a multiplicity of links connect the rotatable actuating bar to a potentiometer of the assembly for controlled movement of the potentiometer in response to movement of the accelerator.
Although these type control means generally functioned satisfactorily, it was decided that important advantages could be realized by constructing the control means with fewer moving parts. It was discovered that maintenance time and the effect of switch hysteresis could be reduced by the apparatus of this invention.
This invention therefore resides in an apparatus having a pivotally actuated control means for varying the speed of the apparatus.